A Game of Chess
by krystalMage
Summary: Darkfic. Kaoru feels an inexplicable dread and nervousness whenever she meets her best friend’s fiancée. She warns Tomoe about him only to get caught in his sinister game of lust and desire. “Relax kitten, it’s just sex. Nothing more, nothing less"
1. Chapter 1

**This is an experimental darkfic I wanted to try, just so I could see if I can write darkfics or not.**

**There is going to be some major OOC-ness in this fic, so be warned. Also, if you cannot digest the idea of an evil Kenshin, please don't read this. The focus in this story is going to be on how relationships can hurt and how power is used within them and things are going to get ugly. Please don't complain later about it. **

**This may or may not continue into a fullfledged story, that depends on how I figure out the next part. **

**Summary: **Darkfic. Kaoru feels an inexplicable dread and nervousness whenever she meets her best friend's fiancée. She warns Tomoe about him only to get caught in his sinister game of lust and desire. The stage is set and the game begins. BK.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin.

**Rating**: M. Rated for adult situations

**Warning:** **MATURE. This fic is a MATURE fic,, it has adult themes. If this is something your parents do not approve of, don't read it. **

* * *

**A Game of Chess**

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Prologue

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Her fingers were shaking. She gripped the steering wheel tightly, watching her knuckles turn white even as she tried to calm down. She swore. Carefully, as if not to disturb the quaking of her other hand, Kaoru removed her right hand from the steering wheel and thrust it into the glove compartment. After a few moments of rummaging about in the cramped space, she pulled her fingers out. She grasped the box lightly in her fingers. Pushing the golden foil out of the way, she took a cigarette out and held it to her lips, letting the box drop. There were a series of unsuccessful clicks before a small burst of flame illuminated her taut cheekbones and the acrid smell of burnt paper and tobacco wafted into her nose.

She breathed deeply, and let her head fall back on the seat. The smoke curved through her pink lips and floated upward, filling the car with its pungent odor. Kaoru closed her eyes.

-

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_- Earlier -_

A bunch of children ran past the car, shouting as they fought over possession of a ball.

She opened her eyes and sat up once more. Grabbing her scarf from the passenger seat, she opened the door and stepped out of the car. She took a deep breath of smoke to steady her nerves. As she crossed the street, a group of teenaged boys standing at the other end of the street looked at her interestedly. Their eyes swept over her frame hungrily. The skirt she wore barely covered her rear and a ladder ran up her stocking. Their smirks grew wider. Kaoru ignored them. He heels clicked on the wet asphalt. She wrapped her arms around her body and ran up the stairs to Tomoe's apartment. She thrust the cigarette into her mouth once more. As the nicotine floated inside, she sighed softly and leaned against the wall.

_She could do this. She was strong enough for this_.

Kaoru dropped the cigarette and stubbed it out. She fumbled in her pocket for a mint. Tomoe thought that she had quit smoking and she wanted to keep it that way. She turned and started to walk to Tomoe's door. A door on the left suddenly opened. A large woman carrying a number of bags stepped out. She paused when her eyes fell on the girl standing in the hallway. She turned to take a better look.

"Kaoru?"

Kaoru stopped. She turned warily. "Mrs. Hongo. How are you?"

The woman smiled back widely. "I'm fine dearie. How are you?"

Kaoru swallowed and turned the corners of her mouth up. "I'm just fine."

"You're here to see Tomoe?"

"Yes." Kaoru looked away.

The woman bent over to pick up a gray tabby that had appeared in the door. Hugging the cat fondly to her chest, she turned and waved her hand as she walked down the hall and out of the door. Kaoru sighed in relief as she watched her leave the building. She turned once more and began to walk. When she reached the door, she looked up and down the hall, almost expecting to be interrupted again. Nothing.

She raised her hand to knock…..but it was unnecessary. Like everything else she tried to do.

He held the door open, looking as though he was expecting her. His lips curved into a smirk as she stepped back. He leaned against the doorframe, waiting. Kaoru swallowed once more. Her mouth was completely dry. She pulled her lower lip under her teeth and cast her eyes down.

"Long time no see kitten. I missed you. Where've you been?" He spoke softly. Kaoru felt her insides begin to churn. She bit her lip and tried to frown. Finally she turned her face away.

"Where's Tomoe?" She demanded.

He smirked. "I see. So we're playing that game again." He leaned closer. "That's interesting." He reached out to touch her face.

Kaoru stepped back immediately. He laughed. Shaking his head, he turned and went inside. Kaoru hovered at the door uncertainly. He reappeared and beckoned her to come in. She looked up and down the hallway once more and then hesitantly took a step forward. Shutting the door behind her, she waited.

Kenshin returned a moment later. He was dressed in black, as always.

"Where's Tomoe?" She repeated, ignoring the intense looks leveled at her by her best friend's fiancée. Kenshin made no bones about the fact that he found her attractive. His relationship with Tomoe had nothing to do with the lust he felt for Kaoru. According to him, they were two completely different things.

"At the hospital."

"But, today is her day off! She told me that last week."

"We switched shifts."

"What?"

"She didn't tell you?" He raised an eyebrow, his eyes glued to her face.

She shook her head slowly. "No. I didn't know."

"Is that so?" Kenshin watched her quietly. He stood and walked over to her. Kaoru stiffened. She backed away but not fast enough to dodge him. Her breathing skid and skipped as his lips raked across her neck. He bunched a fist into her hair and pulled her head down. Jerking her hair back, he held her poised over the arm of the couch. His mouth descended on the hollow of her throat, lazily tracing circles with his tongue, grazing his lips over her skin to tease her. She gripped his shoulders and tried to push him away.

"Stop it! Kenshin, damn you, stop it!" He shifted slightly. Catching the opportunity she rammed her knee into his stomach and scrambled away as he buckled over. Not for long. Her wrist clicked loudly as he pulled her back viciously. Twisting her arm over her head, he pinned her to the wall. Kaoru stared back at him with hatred blazing in her eyes.

"You fucking bastard!" She joined her fingers together in a fist and swung with all her might. Wincing in pain as her knuckles connected with solid flesh, she looked up to find amusement simmering in his eyes.

"Was that intended to hurt?"

"Shut up."

He loosed his hold on her. She pushed him away and made for the door.

"Kitten."

She stopped. Even while she hated herself for doing it, she stopped.

"If you want, I can make it easy for you. I can let you pretend you know don't want this." She shuddered.

"Kenshin, you bastard…."

"Would you like that?" He spoke nonchalantly, completely unaffected by the death glares she was sending in his direction.

"I would like for you to leave me alone."

He smiled. "Whatever lets you sleep at night darling."

The door slammed shut after her. She ran, not stopping even once.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary: **Darkfic. Kaoru feels an inexplicable dread and nervousness whenever she meets her best friend's fiancée. She warns Tomoe about him only to get caught in his sinister game of lust and desire. The stage is set and the game begins. BK.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin. It is the creation of Watsuki Nobuhiro.

**Rating**: M. Rated for adult situations

**Warning:** **MATURE. This is a MATURE fic; it has adult themes running through the course of it. If your parents would not approve of you reading something like this, don't read it. **

* * *

**A Game of Chess**

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**Chapter 1: The First Move**

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* * *

Smoke curved and danced along the ceiling. Kaoru watched as the grayish white plumes slithered along the plastered ceiling, finally letting loose as the wind caught them and lured them out of the window. She pulled the cigarette in for another long drag. Blowing the smoke out of her mouth, she sat up and gently turned her head left, right, up and down. She was trying to work out the kinks in her neck. It was feeling so sore, like the rest of her body. Pursing her lips together she stared fixedly at the empty canvas sitting on the easel in front of her. Bending gracefully, she picked up a roughly sharpened charcoal pencil and twirled it between her fingers, willing herself to think. 

Her thoughts ran playfully over a number of things she could put on this empty space and give it life. Smiling absently, she pressed the tip of the pencil onto the canvas, allowing her fingers to shape a figure without thinking. Her fingers worked quickly, striking deeply with the charcoal to emphasize here, smudging the lines with the pads of her fingers to soften the expression there. As she lost herself in the scribble, scrape and scrabble of the pencil, her tensed muscles began to relax. Sometimes she would lose herself in watching the spirals of the lead on the canvas, forgetting what she had been drawing. She sometimes wondered if she were really the one drawing. Her mind would drift away so far that it seemed as though her soul had leaked into the stark white fabric stretched over wood and it was not she who was guiding the pencil but the pencil that held the strings to her soul and was painting her.

Kaoru froze. This was not what she had intended to draw today. Today was all about breaking away from yesterday and emerging stronger. It was not about dressing the past in milder shades to make it look better, safer…..to make it seem right. Because it wasn't. It wasn't right. Not by any measure. All the wishing in the world wouldn't make it right. She bit her lip mercilessly; willing Kenshin's face to disappear from the clean, simple lines on the canvas. She reached out with her fingers to touch the sketch. This face….it was a face etched on her heart, her mind, and her every thought. It was a face she couldn't….wouldn't forget. A face she had no right to think about.

She bunched her fingers together in a fist and slammed it against the easel. The easel toppled over and landed on the floor with a clatter, upsetting brushes and paint tubes. The bottle of turpentine oil tipped over. Its contents spilled recklessly across the canvas. The pungent smell of the oil filled the air of the room. Kaoru exhaled. She silently surveyed the mess she had made. Wearily, she stood up and walked over to the easel. Hoisting it up with her hands, she set it aside, and began slowly picking up all the brushes and tubes of paint one by one. Once everything was put back in its place, only then did she allow herself to turn towards the ruined sketch.

She lifted it gingerly off the floor, handling it as though it were a delicate thing. As though it would break into a thousand pieces if she was too rough. She turned the canvas over and laid it back, right side up. Once again, she reached out to touch his face but stopped herself in mid-movement. She had to stop doing this to herself. This madness had to stop. Now.

Kenshin was dangerous. He saw too much. His eyes ripped off the haughty mask of aloof and uncaring cynicism she wore for the rest of the world. He didn't let her lie when he was around her. He would never let her escape from herself. He knew her in a way that nobody, not even Tomoe knew her. He knew he could be merciless, unrelenting to the point of being cruel with her because she had no where to run when she was with him. He saw through every trick, every guise she pulled. He had done it time and again. Wrenched open her heart-shaped box and found his own face looking back at him.

She loved him.

It was what she hated the most about herself. It was what kept her awake every night. She would spend every single night tossing and turning, wishing he was lying next to her, the heat of his body and his desire keeping her warm, his strong arms holding her close, his lips drifting across her skin, his hands wandering over her body, teasing her, making her beg when he took his time, coaxing her out of her shell when all she wanted to do was curl up at his side and sleep. He was her wildest dream come true and her most terrifying nightmare come to life. He stole her away from herself slowly and refused to give her back.

Kaoru pulled her knees to her chest and hugged them. She rocked back and forth. Rubbing her arms slowly, she tried to warm up but the numbness of her will had spread into her body and become cold. She flinched when her back touched the wall. It was colder than she had expected it to be. She turned her face towards the wall, and leaned her forehead against it, despite shuddering.

A wry smile twisted her lips. Perhaps Megumi was right. Maybe she really was a masochist after all. Maybe she enjoyed hurting herself. That would explain why she didn't just march over to Tomoe and tell her. She didn't have the courage to face her friend and tell her the truth. She would rather be silent, and let Kenshin drag her back into his arms. She would rather let him use her as he pleased than tell Tomoe everything and stop the affair.

She was sleeping with her best friend's fiancée. And she had no intention of stopping.

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Flashback

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Tiny spurts of pressure tickled her leg. Kaoru shifted slightly. The humming became more pronounced. She ignored it. It stopped soon after. She sighed. This had to be the most boring class she'd had the misfortune of attending. She couldn't wait for it to get over. Her eyes widened as she felt her phone ringing once more. She leaned forward and propped her chin on her hand, twirling her pen faster till it dropped. Hiding a smug smile, she bent to pick up the pen and retrieved her phone from her bag on the floor. She straightened and discreetly read Tomoe's messages.

'_Call me the second you step out of class! URGENT! Call me! #$&'_

Kaoru smiled and moved on to the next message.

'_Call me the second you step out of class! URGENT! Call me!#$&_

Her smile widened into a grin.

'_Call me the second you step out of class! URGENT! Call me!#$&_

Kaoru frowned slightly. Three times was overkill. Damn it Tomoe, what is _with_ you?

'_Call me the second you step out of class! URGENT! Call me!#$&_

Alright this is plain annoying. Kaoru angrily punched a few buttons with her thumb to read the last message, although she was already pretty sure where it had come from.

Sure enough, there it was. Like a pimple on your nose. Inescapable. '_Call me the second you step out of class! URGENT! Call me!#$&_

Kaoru raised her eyebrows. It had to be something really important for Tomoe to lose her brain and send her five messages saying the exact same thing. She looked at her wrist only to remember that she'd forgotten to wear her watch. Not one to be defeated by something as trivial as a missing watch, Kaoru leaned back in her chair and shot a look at the clock hanging on the wall. The class wasn't due to finish for another hour. She sighed and willed the hands to move faster. At this rate, Tomoe would have to come here and collect her corpse because she was definitely not going to survive this class.

"Kamiya!" A small piece of chalk came hurling in her direction. She caught it just before it hit her nose. The chair slammed back on all four legs. Scowling she looked down. The professor was frowning at her.

"Time won't pass fast enough for you Kamiya? Is there a problem? Or are you just too damn smart for this class?" His voice practically dripped with poison. He was heralded with snickers and giggles, while others stared at Kaoru patronizingly. She narrowed her eyes. As her eyes landed on the lanky, bald man standing at the head of the class, she smirked.

"Yeah, actually, that's exactly what I was thinking. This so-called class is a fucking waste of time and space."

He looked as though he might burst. "What did you say?"

Kaoru sighed. She stood up, picked up her books and bag and started walking towards the door. As she walked past the professor, she smiled acidly.

"Don't let me stop you. Go ahead. I'm pretty sure there's still a lot up there that's not completely brain dead yet. So you can enjoy nullifying any gray cells you missed the first time."

The snickers were in her honour this time, even though she was hardly concerned. She barely restrained herself from whooping for joy the minute she stepped out. She made a beeline for her favorite spot on campus grounds. It was a huge oak tree. Its trunk tilted a bit to the left, making it very comfortable to lean against. Kaoru sat at the base and fished her cell phone out. Punching in the numbers without thinking, she waited for Tomoe to pick up the phone.

She didn't have long to wait. "Hello?" A breathy voice answered at the other end. Tomoe sounded breathless like she'd been running or worse, having sex.

Kaoru paused, thinking quickly. "Hello?"

"Hey, it's me."

"Kaoru?"

"Well, who else? Geez Tomoe, you're the one who was going insane sending me messages to call you back the minute I got out of class."

"Huh? But wasn't your class supposed to end in an hour?"

"It was."

"Then how come you're talking to me?"

"I walked out. I was bored."

"Kaoru! You can't keep doing that."

"It's alright. Anyway, what happened? What are you getting so excited about?"

"Well I needed to talk you – ah!" Tomoe cried out, not managing to finish what she was saying. Kaoru removed the phone from her ear and looked at it thoughtfully for a moment.

"Tomoe?" She asked tentatively. "I can call you back if it's a bad time….."

"No! I mean, umm, just come meet me at our usual place tonight okay? Be there by nine. Don't be late."

The line went dead. Kaoru blinked. She stared at the phone once more, before grinning. Whoever it was sure had Tomoe entertained, if the breathlessness, and the muffled cries were anything to go by.

She stood up. She had about four hours before she had to meet Tomoe at the club. It was time to get moving.

* * *

Kenshin leaned back into the couch. He looked around the club disinterestedly. Beside him, Tomoe sat chatting to one of her classmates whom they'd met as they entered. As the girl stood, she smiled invitingly at Kenshin and turned to leave. 

Tomoe scooted across the sofa and snuggled up close to him. He smiled down at her. He lifted his hand and pushed away the lock of hair that fell on her face so he could see her properly.

"Why are we here again?" He asked, idly stroking her hair. Tomoe smiled back happily at him.

"Because I want you to meet Kaoru. I haven't been fair to her. I keep telling her about my fantastic boyfriend and she hasn't even met you yet. That's hardly fair, is it?"

Kenshin's fingers stilled for a heartbeat. Kaoru. Could he ever forget that name? Could he ever forget her?

"Kenshin? What's wrong?" Tomoe was looking at him with concern. He shook his head in response and smiled to let her know everything was alright. She was satisfied by his little act and so didn't pursue the matter.

He sat back and watched as yet another of Tomoe's friends appeared and drew her conversation. He didn't mind though. There were certain things he needed to get off his mind first. Things like Kaoru. He knitted his brow. He had to stop doing this. Kaoru was part of his past. She had left him, without a word, without a reason. She was a closed chapter in the book of his life. He glanced at Tomoe. Yes, that's what he had to do. Forget about the past and think upon the present. It wasn't like she was the only person with that name. Other girls could be named Kaoru as well.

"There you are! I thought I told you not to be late." Tomoe's voice cut through his jaded thoughts and brought him back to the club. Kenshin looked up. Tomoe was talking to a girl standing directly in front of her. She was hidden from his sight by Tomoe. This was obviously the girl she had been talking about. Kaoru.

He waited as both the women chatted animatedly. Apparently this Kaoru liked to move her hands a lot when she talked, whatever she was saying was making Tomoe laugh uproariously. In spite of himself, Kenshin felt a spark of interest.

Tomoe moved. Kaoru stepped out.

"Kaoru, I want you to meet Kenshin, my fiancée!" Tomoe hugged Kenshin tightly, gazing up at him with adoring eyes. Kenshin smiled at her before looking up. His eyes widened in shock and recognition as they landed on Kaoru.

Kaoru.

"Kenshin…."

Amethyst met cobalt blue and time stopped.

* * *

**Author's Notes**

Just to dispel any confusion that may (or may not) have arisen, the Prologue of this story is actually what is going on in the present. This chapter takes the story from a few months back. In other words, the flashback starts in the section where Kaoru is sitting in a class. The first section of this chapter is what happens directly after the prologue.

I hope it's not too confusing and that you all like this chapter.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary: **Darkfic. Kaoru feels an inexplicable dread and nervousness whenever she meets her best friend's fiancée. She warns Tomoe about him only to get caught in his sinister game of lust and desire. The stage is set and the game begins. BK.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin. It is the creation of Watsuki Nobuhiro.

**Rating**: M. Rated for adult situations

**Warning:** **MATURE. This is a MATURE fic; it has adult themes running through the course of it. If your parents would not approve of you reading something like this, don't read it. **

Special Thanks to all my reviewers!!

**Iluvchocks, sapphireraccoongirl, OpalBean, happyloveygirl, and Kono Mayottero Hoshi **who were the first five to review this story – Thank you sooooo much for encouraging me to keep writing this.

**Losttoday and Ohagi-chan, GogoPenguin** – Thanks for the enthusiasm. It's like one of those energizer pills in games. 

**Gabyhyatt** – You will find out why she left him soon enough. Like next chapter. Promise.

**Sulou** – I didn't make you wait long, did I?

**Free Hero** – Thanks. I try to make it as good as I can. It can be better since my beta-reader has no more time to read through my stuff, so I'm editing on my own, which isn't always a good idea.

**Skenshingumi** – I'm happy you're here for the ride. And don't worry; I am not going to be assassinating characters to lend steam to the story.

**Natlane** – You got it!

**Andy and Joanna** – You're totally right. Everyone loves a possessive Kenshin. And by the way, are you sharing an account? That's pretty cool.

**Anime.fushigi** – I know the last chapter was confusing, but I think everything is pretty much clear now, if it isn't, you can always message me, and I'll make it simpler. Thanks for the feedback.

* * *

**A Game of Chess**

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**Chapter 1: The Second Move**

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* * *

"_Kaoru, I want you to meet Kenshin, my fiancée!" Tomoe hugged Kenshin tightly, gazing up at him with adoring eyes. Kenshin smiled at her before looking up. His eyes widened in shock and recognition as they landed on Kaoru._

_Kaoru._

"_Kenshin…."_

_Amethyst met cobalt blue and time stopped._

* * *

His jaw tightened. He clenched his teeth as he looked at her in disbelief. He pulled Tomoe closer to his body and did what he had dreamt of doing for a very long time. He stared at Kaoru's face once more. His eyes ran over her face and down the length of her body with a hunger he hadn't felt for three years. Three years that he had spent without her. Three years where every moment had been as bitter as death. Three years since she had left. She had gone.

Fate was not without a sense of irony. Here she was. Standing in front of him, her eyes wide with shock. She quickly looked down. She didn't want to meet his eyes. Kenshin's eyes bore into her accusingly. The pain and anger in his eyes was out in plain sight and obvious to whomever cared to look. Kaoru glanced at Tomoe, who miraculously hadn't noticed the clouded expression on his face. Tomoe was smiling and talking. Kaoru blinked. She realized that her friend was talking to her.

"Well, now that you've finally met him, what do you think?"

"Finally?" Kenshin asked mockingly, his eyes glued to Kaoru. Tomoe looked at him in confusion, before turning back towards Kaoru.

"Do you know each other?" She asked in puzzlement.

"No!" Kaoru blurted out. She looked at Tomoe and firmly shook her head. Kenshin's eyes grew wide and his lips parted. Something cold wrapped itself around his heart and squeezed. "I've never met him before. How could we possibly know each other?" She laughed flippantly. She faced Kenshin, daring him to refute her statement. He bent his head and looked away. Glancing back at Tomoe, he realized she hadn't noticed anything wrong in his silence or Kaoru's affected cheerfulness.

"I was attempting a pull a joke Tomoe, but it seems your friend wasn't interested in playing along. What a pity."

He moved his hand from Tomoe's waist to her shoulder. He smiled but his eyes looked like they were carved of stone. Kaoru took a tiny step back, not enough to be noticed by Tomoe by just enough to reassure herself. Kenshin was in a dangerous mood now. She didn't want to be anywhere near him at this moment. His eyes were glinting with more than just annoyance. No, annoyance didn't even come close to what he was telling her through his eyes. He was livid. He had probably never been this furious in his life, except the day when she had left him. Kaoru prayed to every deity she knew of, for Kenshin to stay quiet, and not blurt out anything about their past.

But it seemed as though she needn't worry about it at all. Kenshin paid her no heed after those initial few minutes. He turned away from her and pulled Tomoe down on the sofa beside him. Kaoru took a seat across them, putting in a word once or twice as Tomoe carried the conversation forward. She was blissfully unaware of the icy atmosphere around her. She talked for all three of them, recounting episodes from their daily lives, telling Kenshin how amazing Kaoru was, how fun, how unpredictable she was.

Kenshin glanced up once or twice but didn't allow his eyes to linger on her for more than a second.

Tomoe sipped her daiquiri delicately. Placing the glass on the table, she looked at Kenshin. "Kenshin, Kaoru's an artist. She's very talented."

"An artist? Really?"

"Yes! She's marvelous!" Tomoe nodded enthusiastically. Kenshin regarded her coolly.

"C'mon Tomoe, knock it off. I'm not that great." Kaoru nervously rubbed the back of her neck with her fingers.

"But you are! Trust me; she's got the most amazing imagination ever. I get goose bumps just by looking at her paintings." Tomoe sat up, raising her voice slightly to make her point. Kaoru was talented, and Tomoe had made it her business to make everyone acknowledge that fact.

Kenshin was watching her with a small smile playing on his lips. Kaoru nervously bit her lip. When she looked up again, his smile had grown wider. She blinked. He lifted his fingers to his neck and gently mirrored her actions, rubbing small circles on the back of his neck, just as she was doing. Her mouth fell open.

He remembered! After all this time, he had remembered! She used to rub her neck whenever she was nervous or unsure of herself. She had never told him, she had never needed to tell him anything. Kenshin instinctively understood all her little quirks, her silly habits. He knew them and it looked as though he hadn't forgotten anything. She blinked again. He was smiling triumphantly. And then, the smile disappeared from his lips as readily as it had appeared. He stared back at her darkly.

She looked at him warily. He ignored her once more, and lavished his attention on Tomoe. Kaoru forced a smile on her face and quietly watched as he whispered into her ear, his lips grazing the sensitive skin of her ear. He stroked Tomoe's hair and playfully wrapped his fingers in it. It was distracting. She drew a long breath into her lungs. _That used to be me. It used to me whose ears you kissed, on the pretense of whispering something. It used to be my hair you played with, it was my back that you stroked._ She knew that he was tracing circles in the small of Tomoe's back right now. The circles would grow and diminish until her skin tingled and she would no longer be able to contain the sweet sensations exploding all over her body by merely fidgeting and shifting in her seat.

Just when she thought she couldn't take anymore and tried to move away, he would place his palm flat on her back. The gentle warmth from his hand would wash over her and calm the miniscule lightning bolts running through her body. She would relax and lean back against him. He would wait for a few minutes and then start stroking once more.

Tomoe leaned into his side, settling her head on his shoulder, gazing drunkenly into his eyes. Something snapped deep inside her. Kaoru looked away as though the sight of Tomoe resting on him was painful, physically painful for her to see. She stood up. Tomoe looked startled.

"Kaoru, where are you going?"

"I need a drink."

Tomoe nodded. Kenshin raised an eyebrow and gave her a knowing smile. He watched her make her way to the bar, every head in the club turning just to stare after her. The soft curves of her body were complimented by the simple black dress she wore. The dress had a modest boat-shaped neck line that showed off her collarbones to perfection and at the back, it fell away in folds to expose her back till her waist. She wore no jewellery except the two drops of pearls on her ears. Her arms were bare. Kenshin admired the milky expanse of her back. He bit his lip gently as his eyes roved over her figure.

Within minutes, there was a small circle of admirers surrounding her, trying to gather the courage to talk to her. Surprisingly, Kaoru seemed completely unaffected by it. She hadn't changed one bit. She was still as unaware of the effect she had on men as she had been then. He frowned as one brave soul broke away from the pack and stalked towards her, but he lost his nerve at the last minute and ended up making a fool out of himself by stuttering some incomprehensible mumbo-jumbo when he reached her.

Kaoru blinked and tried to help him out by prompting him. But the poor fellow apparently had no idea what to do and he mumbled some excuse and melted away from the bar to wallow in some corner of the club. Kenshin smiled as he watched Kaoru sigh and turn to the bartender to order her drink. This was becoming interesting.

He felt a tug on his arm. Tomoe was holding on to his sleeve and tugging repeatedly.

"Kenshin! It's not polite to drift off in space when your girlfriend wants to talk to you."

"I'm sorry. I just spaced out."

"Oh. Is everything alright?" She placed a hand on his arm, her eyes narrowing slightly. Kenshin nodded. He listened to her halfheartedly. He plastered a smile on his face and tuned Tomoe's voice out. He wanted to go to Kaoru and demand an answer from her. He wanted to know why she had left, why she hadn't even bothered to tell him why she was leaving him. And more than anything else, he wanted to find out why she still affected him like this?

He glanced at Tomoe. She was saying something but no matter how hard he tried to concentrate, his eyes and his mind kept wandering through the crowd to stop at the bar where Kaoru was perched on one of the stools, tapping her fingers lightly on the bar, waiting for her drink. He frowned. Tomoe didn't deserve this. He should take care of his problem right now and put his mind at ease so that he could focus on Tomoe, and not linger after Kaoru.

Tomoe's drink was placed directly in front of her. It was a tall flute. Kenshin observed it carefully and measured the distance from the flute to where Tomoe was sitting. He smiled. It was possible. He just needed to move fast.

Nonchalantly, he pulled his phone out of his pocket and placed it on the table. Keeping his eyes on Tomoe, he stretched his hand out towards the phone and slightly bent his elbow. The flute, containing Tomoe's drink toppled over. The clear liquid split over the table and some splashed onto Tomoe.

Tomoe cried out in surprise and shook her skirt frantically.

"Oh shit! Tomoe, I'm so sorry." Kenshin jumped up and started to apologize profusely. Tomoe rolld her eyes and gave him an exasperated look.

"It's alright. Don't worry about it. I'm going to go clean up."

Tomoe picked up her purse and walked away. Kenshin watched closely till she disappeared. He let loose the breath he'd been holding for a while. He straightened and jerked his head slightly to shake his bangs away from his eyes. Not that it made much difference, the bangs simply slid back into place a few seconds later.

He strode over to the bar. He made short work of a man who was aiming to seat himself next to Kaoru. Kenshin held him by the elbow and unceremoniously pushed him out of the way. He slid into the stool next to her and propped his elbow on the bar. Kaoru was staring into her glass. His throat tightened. He felt a shiver run down his spine as the familiar scent of jasmine floated around him. He remembered burying his head in her hair after making love. He remembered those long, slow showers just before they returned to the bed and collapsed; he remembered massaging her neck when she used to sit up late, mixing paints. He remembered every single moment he had spent with her.

He had relived each one of those moments of pleasure in every moment of agony of despair and loneliness while he waited for her to come back. He didn't care when, why or how, he just wanted her to come back. But she didn't.

Here they were again. Just one whiff of her scent drove him back, into the past. The past that he had buried, vowing never to think about it, to never think about her, to forgive, to forget. And after all these years, Kenshin found out something new about himself.

He wasn't a saint.

* * *

Kaoru felt him before any other sense alerted her to his presence. She turned her head slightly. His eyes were fixed on her. They glimmered with anger and frustration.

She knew why he was here. She had to convince him that there was nothing worth asking anymore. Kenshin wasn't a fool but angry as he was right now, anything she said would hold true. All she had to do was act the part for a while and he would leave.

She tossed her hair back and turned to face him with a coy smile on her lips.

"Kenshin, that look won't score you any points with Tomoe. She likes her men sweet."

"What makes you think I'm trying to score points with Tomoe?"

"Past that stage, are we? Congratulations. She doesn't normally let anyone past her ten feet wall of protection."

"What about you, how many feet had I crossed, before you decided to quit?" The cold fury in his voice ate away at her courage. She swallowed. She looked away before answering.

"This isn't about me, Kenshin."

"Wrong! This is about you. It's _always_ about you, dammit, everything related to me is about you! " He hissed. He had crossed the distance between them so slyly, that she didn't even notice until she felt the warmth of his knee touching her own.

Kaoru leaned away from him. She stared into her drink.

"I don't know what you're talking about." She replied softly.

"Why did you leave?" The question bore into her like a nail driven in by a hammer.

"I don't have to answer that."

"You will."

Kaoru snapped her head up and glared at him. Her eyes were burning with fire.

"What is your problem Kenshin? Can't you just forget it? It was three years ago. Forget about it!"

"Have you forgotten about it?"

"Of course I have."

"Don't lie to me! Kaoru, don't lie."

She smirked. "I don't know what you're getting so worked up about. It was just sex Kenshin. Nothing more, nothing less."

* * *

**Author's Notes**

Thanks so much for all the lovely reviews!!! You people make it all worthwhile. I got some reviews saying that it was pretty confusing; well I'm really sorry about that. I hope this chapter was a little less confusing.

Well it has to be since we're still in the flashback.

Keep the reviews coming in!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary: **Darkfic. Kaoru feels an inexplicable dread and nervousness whenever she meets her best friend's fiancée. She warns Tomoe about him only to get caught in his sinister game of lust and desire. The stage is set and the game begins. BK.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin. It is the creation of Watsuki Nobuhiro.

**Rating**: M. Rated for adult situations

**Warning:** **MATURE. This is a MATURE story; it has adult themes running through the course of it. If your parents would not approve of you reading something like this, don't read it. **

Special Thanks to all my reviewers!!

* * *

**A Game of Chess**

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**Chapter 4: Play**

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* * *

**Recap**

"_What about you, how many feet had I crossed, before you decided to quit?" The cold fury in his voice ate away at her courage. She swallowed. _

"_This isn't about me, Kenshin."_

"_Wrong! This is about you. It's always about you dammit, everything related to me is about you! " He hissed. He had crossed the distance between them so slyly, that she didn't even notice until she felt the warmth of his knee touching her own. _

_Kaoru leaned away from him. She stared into her drink. _

"_I don't know what you're talking about." She replied softly._

"_Why did you leave?" The question bore into her like a nail driven in by a hammer._

"_I don't have to answer that."_

"_You will."_

_Kaoru snapped her head up and glared at him. Her eyes were burning with fire. _

"_What is your problem Kenshin? Can't you just forget it? It was three years ago. Forget about it!" _

"_Have you forgotten about it?"_

"_Of course I have."_

"_Don't lie to me! Kaoru, don't lie."_

_She smirked. "I don't know what you're getting so worked up about. It was just sex Kenshin. Nothing more, nothing less."_

**End of Recap**

* * *

For a second, he turned into stone. Kenshin felt as though his heart had been ripped out from his chest and slammed down hard on ice. The shock at hearing Kaoru reduce their relationship to just sex reverberated throughout his body. Every fiber of his being, every cell in his body was telling him that she lied. He wanted to deny her words so desperately that he didn't know where to begin. The blind rage, the uncontrolled fury he felt was nothing to the pain that was boiling in his veins. He wanted to scream, to shout, to cry, to hold her by the shoulders and shake her till she told him that she was lying. His fingers curled dangerously and formed a fist.

Kaoru shrugged her shoulder nonchalantly, as if nothing had happened. As though she were completely unaware of the fact that she had, once again, broken his heart into tiny, miniscule pieces. She dipped one manicured finger into her drink and twirled it around absently before pulling it out and softly kissing the tip of the liqueur covered digit with her lips. Kenshin winced. The sight of her like this, in front of him yet so far away twisted an icy knife in his heart. He turned to go but stopped as he saw the bartender stare at her with undisguised admiration and lust. His chest tightened.

He felt the adrenaline rush to his head. Both his hands coiled into fists. He shook with silent indignation and jealousy. It was incomprehensible and in the light of his relationship with Tomoe, completely inappropriate for him to be feeling like this but right now, in this moment, all he could think about was taking the bartender apart limb by limb, slowly, very slowly, so that by the time he was finished, he would remember the pain long after. He stood there silently, imagining the different ways in which he could break this man so he would never dare to raise his eyes to Kaoru again, let alone Kaoru, he'd be surprised if he ever gathered to courage to look at any girl after this.

He couldn't leave, not yet. Kenshin slid back into the stool. Kaoru stiffened. She turned towards him slowly and was taken aback by the smile on his face. She leaned away from him and frowned in bewilderment She could not fathom his sudden cheerfulness. By all counts, right now, he should be furious and well on his way back to Tomoe but he was still sitting here, beside her, and ….. smiling.

Kenshin's smile widened. He glanced towards the bartender, sending him a cold message through his eyes. He was an intelligent one, since he moved away immediately. Kenshin moved in closer to Kaoru, till his nose was merely millimeters away from her face. Kaoru began to drum her fingers nervously on the bar. He stole a glance towards her fingers and moved closer. The drumming became more frantic, until it stopped completely, after which Kaoru started twirling the empty flute that had held her drink between her fingers. However, she did not dare face him even once during all of this. Kenshin smiled.

He gently blew against her ear. Kaoru snapped her head and turned her face towards him, her eyes wide and confused. She looked at him searchingly.

"What….what do you want?" She asked irritably. Her frown deepened and she cast glances back towards the couch where they had been sitting with Tomoe some time back.

"I think we have plenty of time to discuss what I want, kitten. But…there's something I've realized." He replied smoothly.

"What?" Kaoru was not feeling as certain about Kenshin's reaction to her lie as she had been. She had thought that she would toss him the line about their involvement being no more than just a pleasure trip and he would buy it and leave her. But what she hadn't counted upon was Kenshin seeing through her lie and coming back to ask her more questions. She waited anxiously.

He smirked. "You're a terrible liar, kitten. Even worse than you were back then."

Kaoru rolled her eyes. "God, are you delusional or something? Haven't I already told you to forget about it?"

"Yeah, you told me to forget about it, but here's the thing. If you can convince yourself about forgetting me, then I'll do the same."

"Convince myself? I don't need to convince myself. I've moved on Kenshin, so should you. Whatever we had, is over and gone. Accept it." She stood and turned to go.

Kenshin grabbed her wrist and forced her back on the stool. "Kitten, you're being rude. I'm not done talking to you."

"Who cares? I'm through talking to you." She moved to stand again but was held down by him once more.

Kaoru pulled at her hand. "What the hell Kenshin! Will you let go? This is embarrassing."

"This is embarrassing? Honey, you don't have the faintest idea about embarrassing. Embarrassing is waking up alone in a cold bed and finding your girlfriend gone. Embarrassing is calling her number again and again and getting no answer. Embarrassing is waiting out side her door for days on end and not seeing her even once. Having your hand held lovingly by your lover is hardly what I call embarrassing."

Kaoru looked around quickly, checking for Tomoe. ""You're not my lover."

"You never ended it. Far as I'm concerned, we're still together."

Kaoru laughed bitterly. "Yeah? And what about Tomoe, huh?"

"What about her? You want me to go tell her? I will. I have no problem doing that. "

"No way. You…you wouldn't dare."

"Do you want me to show you just how much I dare?"

They stared at each other intently. Kenshin's eyes seemed to be drilling holes into her. Kaoru snatched her hand away from him. He didn't protest, only raised his eyebrow and smiled. The game had turned. He wasn't trying to run from the blows she rained down on him, instead he was taking whatever she threw at him, head-on.

Kaoru leaned against the bar and looked out at the dance floor. People were swaying to the rhythm of the music, lost in the beat and madness of the dance and the warmth of the body held in their arms. She bit her lip. She could not believe this was happening. She had never thought that she'd ever meet Kenshin again, like this, in this place of all places. She had never imagined that her past would catch up to her like this.

Her heart had leapt inside her chest when she laid her eyes on him. It had been so unexpected. Time had collapsed. Three years had disappeared in a second. He was here. He was real. He was standing in front of her, just as breathtaking, just as devastating as he had been then. His eyes, his face, the way he moved as though the particles of air adjusted themselves around his frame, the smile that melted her knees, and the slight tilt of his lips that made her want to push him down on the couch and kiss him till he begged her to stop. And his voice, like melted honey on a summer day, that drove her insane as it whispered softly in her ear. She shivered.

She hadn't forgotten anything. She remembered everything about him, everything from the way his jaw would tighten when he was thinking, to the way his eyes would mist over in lust, and the way he would stroke his lip with his finger as he read, the way he ran his fingers through his hair just before tying it up, the way he rolled his shoulders back and forth as soon as he got out of bed, the way he kneaded his fingers against the palms of her hands, working up from her wrists, across the mounds of flesh up to her fingers, gently working away at the tensed muscles, forcing her to relax. She remembered how he used to hum when he cooked, how he would beam with joy when doing the laundry. She even remembered the silly dance he would do, each time his football team scored a goal. She smiled. No, she hadn't forgotten a single thing about him.

But….she had to. She had to forget everything about him. She knew it could never work. She could not bear it still. He had loved her too much, and she couldn't take it. She was terrified of something happening to him, or to her. Something that would leave them so lonely, that they would die. Love could make a person sick when it was taken away. That's why it wasn't right to love someone so much. That was why she had left, so that she didn't go crazy. So that they could go on living happy, safe and normal lives. He would find someone who made him happy, and she would do the same. They could live with the memories of their insane love and in time, forget it. Because when you loved something too much, the universe conspired against you and took it away.

Life was not always fair and definitely never fair when it came to love.

"Contemplating much, kitten?" Kenshin sat with his chin propped up in his hand, looking at her.

Kaoru turned to face him. "Yes. You have to stop this. I've moved on. You have to do the same."

"Why? Are we clones? Must I echo every inane stupidity you choose to be a part of?"

Kaoru clicked her tongue against her teeth in annoyance. "Why don't you just leave me alone?"

"I would, if you had left me alone. But you haven't, so I see no need to return a favor I haven't received."

"What are you talking about? I left three years ago Kenshin."

"Physically, you left. But, you never left me. You were always there, Kaoru. In the face of every girl I met, every woman I slept with, every happiness, every sorrow was you. Nobody else."

Kaoru looked away. "Don't do this. It's not worth it."

"Why not?"

"Because I wasn't lying when I said I've moved on. I have other people in my life."

"Really?"

"Yeah." Kaoru prayed for Tomoe to arrive and get Kenshin off her hands. She couldn't keep this charade up for long. It was too harrowing. Besides, the close proximity to him was helping nothing. She was getting aroused, just by feeling his breath on her neck. If only there was some guy she could just grab and head out to the dance floor she would show him just how much she had moved on. She would make him go back to Tomoe and not think about her at all. She had to. It was her only chance to make Kenshin believe that she was gone, for real, for good.

Neither of them noticed the young man who silently made his way towards them. They were both lost in their own thoughts to become aware of him. It was only when he stood directly behind Kaoru that Kenshin became aware of his presence. He frowned and looked at him questioningly. The man smiled and slowly slid his hand down Kaoru's back. Kenshin rose to his feet aggressively.

Kaoru turned in surprise and let out a cry of joy when she saw the newcomer. She threw her arms around him and pushed her body against his, enveloping him in a tight hug. Kenshin frowned. Anger flooded his face as he watched the man flinch once in surprise, then return the embrace enthusiastically.

They finally broke apart. After a flurried set of greetings and when-did-you-get-heres, the man looked up at Kenshin and asked Kaoru to introduce him.

Kaoru smiled mischievously. "Are you telling me that Tomoe kept you in the dark as well?"

The man shook his head. "I have no idea what you're talking about. What does my sister have to do with this gentleman here?"

Kaoru stepped beside him, and linked her arm with his. "Well, in all honesty, Tomoe should be the one to tell you, but since she's not here, I'm sure she won't mind if I tell you first. This is Kenshin, Tomoe's boyfriend. And Kenshin, this…..is Enishi, Tomoe's younger brother. He's been abroad studying to become a doctor."

Kenshin held out his hand. "So you're Enishi. Tomoe talks about you all the time."

Enishi smiled. "I could say the same about you. It's nice to finally meet the guy who finally made a dent in my sister's social armor."

"I don't have social armor, as if there's such a thing anyway." Tomoe's indignant voice called out. She made her way up the bar, putting her arms around Kenshin casually. Kaoru looked away and tugged on Enishi's arm.

"You owe me a dance from last time mister. Let's go." She pulled him away from the bar and out on the dance floor. Threading her arms around his neck, she pulled him closer and rested her cheek against his. Enishi ran his hands slowly up and down her back, caressing and stroking the soft skin. As the music played on, his hesitation evaporated. His subtle exploration of Kaoru's body became bolder and more impatient as he pulled her towards his body with every beat. The lights grew slightly dimmer. The music slowed down.

"Kaoru?"

"Hmmm?"

"Are you…..I mean, is everything okay?"

"Sure honey, everything is fine. Why?"

"Well, I…you seem a bit different tonight. Generally, you're not this….happy to see me. So, you okay?" Enishi voiced his concern.

"Oh baby, don't worry. I'm not drunk, if that's what you're worried about."

"Well, to tell you the truth, I was a little worried about that. So, you're not drunk….and you're dancing with me…and everything is fine, right?"

"Right." She smiled at him. Enishi's face lit up. Kaoru felt a twinge of guilt at using him so ruthlessly to throw Kenshin off, but she had decided on this the minute she saw Enishi. Kenshin wouldn't dare to lay a finger on him while Tomoe was around. So even if he grew insanely jealous, he'd just have to accept it. There was nothing he could do about it now.

She cautiously sneaked a glance at the bar where he sat talking to Tomoe. Or rather, Tomoe was talking and he was pretending to listen, while he kept one eye glued to her and Enishi. Kaoru smiled wickedly. Keeping her eyes fixed on Kenshin, she grazed her lips against Enishi's neck. Enishi gasped and pulled her tighter still. Kenshin's eyes grew wide as did her smile. Feeling courageous, she gently began to trace circles on Enishi's neck with the tip of her tongue.

"Kaoru…." Enishi moaned softly.

She stopped. "You don't like it?" She asked innocently. Enishi looked down at her with a plead in his eyes.

"Are you kidding me? Don't stop."

She smiled back at him and went back to teasing him mercilessly with the playful strokes of her tongue. She caressed his back with her fingers and slowly slid her leg up along his. As she felt his hand slide down her hip to hold her buttock, she turned to glance at Kenshin once more. He turned away. The disgust in his eyes was obvious. It was working.

Her breath caught in her throat as she asked Enishi to take her home. "Enishi, I…I'm feeling a bit tired."

"Oh? Don't worry; we'll take a break for some time."

"No, I really think I need to go home."

"Kaoru, just sit for a while. I'm sure you'll feel better. Come on. " he led her away from the dance floor back to the bar.

Tomoe greeted them happily. "Hey! You two were great there on the dance floor and you looked amazing together! Didn't they Kenshin?"

Kenshin gave a curt nod and turned away.

Kaoru nodded feebly. "I had a great time dancing with you Enishi, but I think it's about time I leave. I still have class tomorrow and no amount of complaining will convince Professor Takahashi to give me extra time to finish my assignment."

Enishi looked at her with concern. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah."

"Then come on, I'll take you home." He held his hand out. Kaoru smiled at him and graciously accepted the offer. He left to get her coat, telling her to meet him outside near his car. Kaoru turned to Tomoe.

"I'm really happy for you. It was great meeting your lovely boyfriend but I really have to go now."

"I'm happy you came, and speaking of lovely boyfriends, you never told me that you and Enishi were….that close. I mean, you were practically glued to him tonight Kaoru."

"Yeah well, your brother's a hottie." Kaoru winked. She hugged Tomoe and studiously avoided Kenshin's eye. Smiling once more at her friend, she turned to find Enishi. Locating Enishi was easy; he drove a very small, very racy sports car that one could spot a mile off. Kaoru nimbly got into the car and in Enishi's arms. She snuggled against him as he swerved the car out onto the main road, taking the road leading to her house.

Fifteen minutes later, they were parked in front of her house, yet neither seemed in a hurry to get out. Enishi pulled her towards him and crushed her mouth with his. She didn't protest. He tugged at the zipper of her dress, plying it open, allowing his hands easier access to her breasts. Hooking one arm under her leg, he hoisted her up into his lap.

His lips were soon everywhere, kissing her neck, her lips, her face and her eyes. His kisses were frenzied, and haphazard, like the movement of a man who has been tied up too long.

Kaoru held her neck up, allowing him to kiss her freely, without impediment. There was no trace of the hesitation he had shown at the club. She guided his hands to the clasp of her bra, and looking out of the window, found what she was looking for.

A pair of amethyst eyes staring at her accusingly from across the street.

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**Author's Notes**

Do you all love me or do you love me?

Yayyyyy. Another chapter of **A Game of Chess**!! I was waiting to find enough time to finish this chapter and today I finally found it.

I hope it lives up to the expectations you all had of me. If it doesn't……I'm so sorry, I will try harder next time. Well, I'm really hoping it clears up some questions like

Who left whom?

Why Kaoru left? (to some degree at any rate)

What Kenshin's gameplan is?

What Kaoru's game plan is?

Why do I like writing in bullets? (No, I'm not doing this, Windows is. I have nothing to do with this. Honest.)

Awright ye sea rats!!! Get ye going to the review page. Watcha waiting for?


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary: **Darkfic. Kaoru feels an inexplicable dread and nervousness whenever she meets her best friend's fiancée. She warns Tomoe about him only to get caught in his sinister game of lust and desire. The stage is set and the game begins. BK.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin. It is the creation of Watsuki Nobuhiro.

**Rating**: M. Rated for adult situations

**Warning:** **MATURE. This is a MATURE story; it has adult themes running through the course of it. If your parents would not approve of you reading something like this, don't read it. **

Special Thanks to all my reviewers!!

* * *

**A Game of Chess **

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**Chapter 5: Question**

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**

* * *

Recap**

"_Yeah well, your brother's a hottie." Kaoru winked. She hugged Tomoe and studiously avoided Kenshin's eye. Smiling once more at her friend, she turned to find Enishi. Locating Enishi was easy; he drove a very small, very racy sports car that one could spot a mile off. Kaoru nimbly got into the car and in Enishi's arms. She snuggled against him as he swerved the car out onto the main road, taking the road leading to her house. _

_Fifteen minutes later, they were parked in front of her house, yet neither seemed in a hurry to get out. Enishi pulled her towards him and crushed her mouth with his. She didn't protest. He tugged at the zipper of her dress, plying it open, allowing his hands easier access to her breasts. Hooking one arm under her leg, he hoisted her up into his lap. _

_His lips were soon everywhere, kissing her neck, her lips, her face and her eyes. His kisses were frenzied, and haphazard, like the movement of a man who has been tied up too long. _

_Kaoru held her neck up, allowing him to kiss her freely, without impediment. There was no trace of the hesitation he had shown at the club. She guided his hands to the clasp of her bra, and looking out of the window, found what she was looking for. _

_A pair of amethyst eyes staring at her accusingly from the car parked across the street. _

**End of Recap**

* * *

Kaoru looked straight into them. She flung her hair back and brazenly arched her body against Enishi, surprising him and turning Kenshin's fury even darker. She closed her eyes as though in pleasure and purred softly. She grazed her lips over the curve of Enishi's ear and blew gently. He tingled and felt goose bumps erupt all over his body. He gripped her even more tightly. Confusion and arousal was engulfing his senses. He didn't know where to stop kissing her and where to begin. Kaoru's body was wrapped around his own so intimately, he was actually at a loss of what to do next. Kaoru could feel his hands roaming across her body haphazardly; the touch was hot, feverish and lacked direction.

She tossed her head back and stared at the convertible roof of the car. It was lined with a slate grey fabric. She reached out to touch it with her fingers. Enishi kissed the hollow of her neck softly and gently linked his hand with her own. He rested his head against her shoulder and shut his eyes.

Kaoru had been the star of his wet dreams since he had first met her. She was the unattainable, uninterested girl who kept telling him to get lost. She had never once responded to his flirtations earlier, when all he used to do was follow her around where he could. He would stalk her from class to the library and back again. He followed her when she bought art supplies, or when she met Tomoe for a quick cup of coffee. When she went to the movies, he would spend twice the money to buy the ticket of the guy sitting behind her, he would secretly pick up the other line when she called Tomoe, and he would walk behind her at rallies. He would park his car nearby and stand under her dorm window, chain-smoking while he stared at her silhouette in the window. When the lights of her room would go out, he would sigh and slowly walk back to his car, get inside, sigh once more before turning the key in the ignition and drive back home.

It wasn't as though he'd never tried to tell her that he was interested in her. She never believed him, or she laughed it off. Kaoru enjoyed the attention even though she would never acknowledge him. She just took him for granted. It was no cause for concern that he was stalking her, eavesdropping on her conversations with Tomoe or even that he had been standing outside her dorm for days. Kaoru simply wasn't bothered. He was helpless in the face of her apathetic response to his feelings. She didn't care, and what was worse, she let him know it.

Sometimes, the desperation he felt would erupt in bouts of rage so severe that he would resort to violently flinging things against the wall in his room or get into fights. He had once cut himself while he tried to gouge her name onto his arm, he had only gotten as far as the first letter of her name when the blade slipped and he cut too deep and blood began to spill like water. He remembered the floor rising up to hit his face and then a hospital room, where a somber doctor in a white coat spoke in muted tones to his roommate, who kept shaking his head and staring at the floor. It had been a long drive home. He tried every trick in the book to keep Kai from blurting out everything in front of Tomoe.

But that had been a long time ago. He had matured and changed his tactics somewhat. Kaoru would never take him seriously if he kept pining away for her. He had to give her some space to breath without being forever present at her feet. So he distanced himself from her. It was the hardest thing to do, because he could stand for hours waiting for her to show up, but he couldn't stand not seeing her. So he stopped following her around, stopped acting like a slave, stopped volunteering to drive her and her reactionary friends around town to demonstrate, stopped hanging on her every word, and started pretending that she was no longer the sun of his universe.

He threw all his passion into the study of medicine. Kaoru was the unattainable sun who would burn him, if he got too close. He knew that and accepted it. Tomoe had been surprised to see his interest in Kaoru fade away but she said nothing. In all honesty, she was delighted to find that his obsession for Kaoru was a thing of the past. He didn't know what had hurt him more, Tomoe's silence and sense of relief that he'd gotten over his infatuation with Kaoru or the fact that Kaoru didn't even seem to notice that he was no longer following her around like a lovesick fool.

It seemed to have worked.

Enishi drew back and held her face with his hands. Kaoru frowned. She looked at him quizzically. He tilted his head to a side and smiled at her. She smiled back hesitantly. As she tried to move out of his arms, he pulled her back. Laughing softly, he moved closer once more. As he nestled his head in the curve of her neck, Kaoru peeked over his shoulder. Across the street, Kenshin was still sitting at the wheel of his car, visibly seething in rage and jealousy.

"I can't believe this is us. I can't believe this is you and me. You and me, Kaoru, sitting in my car without a care in the world, kissing as though we were born to do so." Enishi's gentle voice interrupted her thoughts.

Kaoru blinked. She tore her eyes away from Kenshin and looked at Enishi. He smiled warmly and stroked her cheek with his fingers. His light, feather soft touch left her cold. His body felt strange. Her arms around his neck felt wrong. She squirmed and pulled away. Gently lifting her legs over the gearbox, she returned to her seat and sat back. Enishi shifted as well, tucking one foot under his leg so he could sit facing her comfortably. He curled his finger around a lock of her hair and tugged at it. Kaoru lifted the corners of her mouth faintly and felt a twinge of guilt as she saw the adoring look in his eyes.

"Do you know how long I have dreamt of this?" Enishi asked softly.

Kaoru laughed. "Come on Enishi. Don't be melodramatic."

He laughed as well. "I'm not being melodramatic. This is all I have wanted ever since I met you."

"I can't believe that."

"You never did. I kept telling how much I liked you, how much you meant to me but somehow, you were always on some other planet."

Kaoru bent her head, pretending to brush away some lint from her dress. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, I've been running after you since I can remember, and now, all this, all of a sudden. You used to act as though you weren't even aware that I was alive, let alone see how much in love I was."

"What a silly thing to say! Of course I knew you were alive! You were Tomoe's brother, for crying out loud! How could I not know you?"

"Yeah, yeah. I was Tomoe's little brother, and that's it."

"Well, you still are Tomoe's little brother."

"Are you saying you never even thought about me any other way?" Enishi asked even though he knew the answer.

Kaoru took a deep breath before answering. "You were so young Enishi. And I was preoccupied with other things, and above all, you were Tomoe's darling brother and I guess I never saw you in any other way."

"How do you see me now?"

Kaoru froze. Something had changed in Enishi's voice. He had changed. "I, well, you're different now I guess."

"Yes, I am different."

The lips that touched her now said it all. There was none of the initial hesitation, the confusion and desperation that had accompanied their first kiss. That kiss had been given to her by the old Enishi who had none of the confidence and finesse perfected by the new one. It was like being kissed by an entirely different man altogether. This kiss left her breathless, and completely surprised. This kiss made her knees melt and her head swim. Kaoru pushed against him and backed away in nervousness. Enishi grinned and went back to playing with her hair. His eyes remained focused on her as she silently processed this new realization.

She cautiously looked out of the window again but there was nobody there to smirk at. Kenshin had gone! His car was no longer parked on the opposite curb. He had left. A cold knife twisted in her heart. He had gone back to Tomoe, and she was left alone with Enishi.

She turned to him now. With Kenshin no longer serving as a spectator, it was time to go. Casually picking up her purse, she lifted her fingers to the door latch.

"We should call it a night now. I better go."

Enishi didn't stop twirling her hair with his fingers. He simply fixed her with a look. A look that said he wasn't happy.

"So soon? We haven't even finished reminiscing."

Kaoru smiled. "There's plenty of time to do that later."

"When will that be? When I leave for Shanghai?"

"You're not leaving right away, are you? I'll see you tomorrow." She pulled the latch but the door refused to budge. Enishi had the car controls on his side. Unless he was in a mood to let her out, she was staying where she was.

"Tomorrow seems so far away."

Kaoru groaned. "Enishi! You're beginning to sound like a bad love song."

"Bad love songs are underrated. Don't go."

"I have to."

"No you don't." He persisted.

"Yes I do."

"You really don't."

She sighed in exasperation. "This isn't a game Enishi. I'll get late for class."

"Take me with you then. I'll drop you off in five minutes."

"What?"

"What? I'm trying to help you here. Come on. You say yes, we go upstairs, talk, exchange notes on tv stars, talk about movies, and go to sleep. Then, in the morning I'll drop you off to class….on time."

"Nice try Enishi. But, I'm not taking you upstairs."

"Not even if I tell you that my intentions are completely honorable? Not even if I insist that there will be no carnal pleasures taken?"

"Certainly not. No."

"Not even for a cup of coffee?" Enishi flashed his most charming smile but it had no affect on Kaoru.

"Not even for a cup of coffee."

"That's downright cheap Kaoru. I would never have been you to be such a miser. How much coffee could I possibly drink anyway?"

Kaoru replied cheekily. "I don't know Enishi. With the mood you're in, it's just too dangerous. I'd rather not take the risk."

"You don't really mean that?"

"Yes, I do, I really do. Goodnight Enishi." She pecked him lightly on the cheek and stealthily pushed a button near the gearbox that released her door. Stepping out lightly, she fished the keys to her apartment out of her purse. Enishi stepped out and came stood next to her.

"Thank you."

Kaoru looked at him bemusedly. She leaned against the hood of the car and regarded Enishi carefully. He stood with his back turned to the light, his face appeared dark but his eyes were shining.

"What for?"

"For dancing with me."

He leaned forward and pressed his lips gently to her forehead. Cupping her cheek with his fingers, he dropped feathery kisses on her eyes and nose before stopping at her lips. He straightened, and stepped aside. Kaoru pulled herself off the car and walked towards her apartment, trying not to look at him. When she reached the gate to the building, she turned. Enishi was waiting. She waved, he smiled. She turned the key and pushed the door open. Enishi waited till the door slammed shut. He grinned and strode back to his car. Sliding into the driver's seat, he watched as the lights to the corridor leading to Kaoru's apartment lit up one by one.

He was still watching when his cell phone rang shrilly. Enishi winced. Patting his hands over the pockets of his pants and coat, he found the phone and fished it out. Flipping it open with one deft flick of his finger, he spoke, "Yeah."

-

-

The sound of wheels screeching against the dark tarmac echoed through the street. Kaoru breathed a sigh of relief. For a while it had seemed as though getting rid of Enishi was going to be a problem. But he was a sweet guy; nothing she couldn't handle. Unbidden, a feeling of guilt swelled up in her breast. She was using him so cruelly. But…..there was nothing else she could have done. Kenshin was being so stubborn. He was refusing to let her go. There was no other way but to show him that she didn't need him, and Enishi had always been interested in her. It was wrong but inevitable. Besides, she liked Enishi. He was charming, sweet and madly in love with her. It wasn't as though he didn't want to be with her.

Suddenly, she stopped and swore gently under her breath. The corridor was dark. The lights on the floor were fluctuating again. It had been a problem that had persisted for weeks. She'd lost count of the number of times she'd called the maintenance guy contracted by the landlord to fix the lights. But there was always some lapse, or something they forgot to fix the first time round. In all fairness, the building maintenance firm couldn't be held responsible for every fiasco that wreaked the floor. It was an old building. The plumbing and fixtures were ridiculously outdated. She'd gotten used to contractors snickering when she mentioned her address. The wiring was in shambles, and there wasn't a single electrician in the vicinity who didn't know the details of every case in the building by heart. The running joke was that they kept files on every apartment in the building. These 'case histories' were studied and kept carefully for instruction for junior electricians; lessons on how not to mess up a wiring job.

The rent and the proximity to the university and Tomoe's house were the only things that kept her there.

She clutched her purse tightly and strode forward. The keys hanging from her middle finger clinked loudly. The click of her heels on the granite floor echoed through the corridor. She stopped in front of her door. Kenshin's angry face resurfaced in her mind. She slammed her fist into the wall. Her hand throbbed with pain. Why did he have to show up now? She had worked very hard to settle in the life she had made for herself. Her art, her classes, and her friendship with Tomoe were the only things that had kept her from keeling over entirely. Leaving Kenshin had almost killed her. But it had been the only thing she could do. Maybe things would be different this time around, but she doubted it. Tomoe once asked her what she was running from, because she never rested, never relaxed. She was always on the go. The restless activity she'd plunged herself into had all been to forget Kenshin, to leave him behind, to live without him. Her fear for Kenshin was greater than her need to be with him. Their love had been so consuming, so immense that there had been no space left in between. She fled him before she lost herself completely.

The keys dropped from her hand. She sighed.

She bent to pick the keys up but she was too slow. Before she could reach them, a hand appeared out of nowhere and scooped them up. She jerked back.

"Who's there?"

"Stupid question kitten."

Kenshin was leaning against the door, dangling the keys form his fingers like a prize. The dark fury simmering in his eyes put the night to shame. Kaoru swallowed.

"I saw you leave." She muttered.

His lips curled into a cruel smirk. "Didn't think it'd be that easy, did you?"

* * *

**Author's Notes**

Sorry for the long wait guys.

Thank you Reviewers!!!! And everyone else who has read and enjoyed this story

**Isabella Swan** – Thank you. I'm glad you enjoyed it.

**EmbersOfAmber** – you and share similar thoughts regarding Enishi. grins

**Kaori01** – Kenshin's situation isn't enviable. He's got a great girlfriend and now the love of his life decides to drop in. Can't blame the guy for acting a little cuckoo.

**Iluvchocs** – Well, the realization had been building for some time before she decided to take the plunge and leave, while she was still sane (in her opinion)

**Angie** – Thank you. Hmmm, well I modeled Kaoru partly on an artist friend of mine. CIGARETTE SMOKING IN HAZARDOUS TO HEALTH. IT CAN KILL YOU Sorry Angie, I didn't mean to lecture you but I just thought I'd make it clear that I am NOT endorsing smoking in this fic. This is for everyone by the way.

**Natlane** – Yeah Kaoru has gotten involved pretty quickly with Enishi, who is serious about her but there nothing is really going to happen between them, partly because Enishi is absent mostly and also since Kaoru doesn't intend for anything to happen with him.

**Lazyreader** – Thank you very much!

**Skyler Joanna** – Thank you! Here's your update, don't know so much about "soon" but I try my best.

**Nijiryuu** – I hope so too.

**Skenshingumi** – Painful? Yes. It's a destructive relationship. The worst of it is that others get involved in the emotional wreck as well.

**Kazeshinobi** – An assertive Kaoru is an attractive Kaoru. I don't hold with the whole simpering, damsel-in-distress idea.

**Sapphireraccoongal** – No, Kenshin hasn't been idle. He's scheming as well. Wait and see.

**Jisusaken, puma Padfoot, fsdfdsf, happyloveygirl, M-shizzle,** - Thank you all!

**Meet A.L.E.X** – Thank you and I think I explained that already. anime-style sweatdrop

**Sulou** – Well, I'd say Kaoru is confident. She knows the effect she has on certain men, Enishi being one of them. It's a little irresistible for her to avoid exploiting that when she knows she can use it.

**GogoPenguin** – aah, if only they'd realize that, there would be no need for all the angst.

**R.Kay** – Thank you. Will do. hearts back

**Lady** **Dark** **Angel** – Trouble will be met with more trouble

**Kono Mayatteru Hoshi** – Thank you. What does that mean?

**Inuyashasama1** – Thank you.

**The Only love for Soujirou Sama** – Thank you!!

**Iuvenalis** – thank you so much. I love twisted. Length is a problem with me sometimes.

**P.Stowers** – thank you. Mcd's McDonalds

**Iron chef's lady** – Thank you!

**Perseverance** – thank you. I like this Kaoru a lot too.

**Soniya Himura** – I updated!

**Holy Reimaund HCK **– thank you so much. I hope your questions have been answered? Yes, no, maybe, let me know!

**Beautifully chaotc, jane** – thank you so much!! I hope you like this chapter.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin. It is the creation of Watsuki Nobuhiro. 'A Game of Chess', and its events are mine so don't steal!

**Rating**: M. Rated for adult situations

**Warning:** **MATURE. This is a MATURE story; it tackles adult themes and situations. Content requires reader discretion. krystalMage puts tongue-in-cheek as she writes this **

**If your parents do not approve you reading mature content, please do not read this story. Thank you.**

**P.S. Unless of course, you can convince them otherwise….but since that isn't going to happen any time soon….better not take the risk. Ciao. **

Special Thanks to all my reviewers!! Especially to the reviewers who sent me personal messages egging me on to write! Without which, me and my lazy muse would never get anything done. This one's for you guys.

Yes, I took forever to update this chapter and I'm sorry for the delay, but hey! A girl needs a vacation every now and then. By the way, this has nothing to do with the story but I thought I'd just vent my feelings while I'm here, I need a job! Somebody get me one...ehehe…..Ookay I'm done. Thanks for listening.

Enjoy.

* * *

**A Game of Chess**

**-**

**-**

**Chapter 6: Ambush**

**-**

**-**

* * *

**Recap**

She bent to pick the keys up but she was too slow. Before she could reach them, a hand appeared out of nowhere and scooped them up. She jerked back.

"Who's there?"

"Stupid question kitten."

Kenshin was leaning against the door, dangling the keys form his fingers like a prize. The dark fury simmering in his eyes would have put the night to shame. Kaoru swallowed.

"I saw you leave." She muttered.

His lips curled into a cruel smirk. "Didn't think it'd be that easy, did you?"

**End of Recap**

* * *

The overhead lights flickered. Kenshin's eyes were smoked over. The purple hue of his eyes had dimmed. Kaoru looked at him cautiously. His irises were entirely dark blue now. She held her breath. He was angry, very angry. But that was what she had planned wasn't it? To make Kenshin so angry with her that he would leave. Any man, regardless of how enamored he was, would have left after witnessing the act she had put on display with Enishi. She blushed and thanked the faulty wiring for creating a blackout in the hall at that moment. If nothing else, it hid the blush that had spread all over her face and neck. She felt so ashamed.

Good heavens! The things she had let Enishi do to her and in front of Kenshin too! There was no explanation she could give him now. It was over; it had to be. After what he had seen in the car, Kenshin would hate her viciously. She had got what she wanted…..or so she thought. Kenshin should have been on his way back to Tomoe right now, returning the favor. Repeating every kiss she'd shared with Enishi, only this time prolonging it to heighten the pain.

Only….he wasn't with Tomoe. He hadn't gone back to her. He wasn't kissing Tomoe to get back at her or anything. He was here. Standing right in front of her, not a meter away. He was here because he still wanted…..what? What did he want?

The lights went out again. Kaoru slid her palm along the wall till she found the fire emergency button. It was the only amenity that worked with clock-like precision in the building. All she had to do was press the little red button and every single occupant of the building would come tumbling out in the corridor. It would be a while before the fire department determined that it was safe to return to the building. In the confusion, she could easily snatch the keys from Kenshin and rush into her apartment before he even realized what was going on. Then he would have no choice but to leave.

She pursed her lips and slowly, gradually inched towards the fire emergency button.

-

-

Tomoe frowned. She stared at the small LCD display in her phone. She'd called Kenshin ten times already but he wasn't accepting any of her calls. He'd said he needed to take care of something important but it was late and he wasn't even answering his phone. She was worried. Where could he be?

-

-

Kaoru's stealthy move towards the emergency button weren't missed by him. Kenshin chuckled. "You need the fire brigade to deal with me?" He leaned forward. "I didn't know I made you that nervous."

Kaoru stepped away from the wall. She tossed her head, flicking her bangs back into place and glanced back at him.

"It takes a lot more than the sight of you standing here to make me nervous. What are you doing here, anyway? Are you stalking me? What do you want?" She asked irritably. Kenshin watched silently as she shifted her weight, rolling her hips to the side, an appreciative look gleaming in his eyes. His mouth lifted in one corner as he feasted his eyes over her in the dim light.

He ran his tongue over his lips slowly, suggestively, enjoying how Kaoru watched him warily, comfortable in the assurance that he had her where he wanted her. He wanted her to feel trapped, caged by his gaze and nervous with anticipation. He leaned against the door to her apartment and dangled the keys in her face. The smile on his face turned sinister.

"You look good. Have you lost weight?" He tilted his head slightly.

Kaoru shook her head in disbelief. "It's the middle of the night Kenshin! Do you mean to tell me that you came here just to discuss my figure?"

He grinned in response. "And what's wrong with discussing your figure. It's a very nice figure." He raised his hands and traced her curves in the air.

She rolled her eyes. "Go home Kenshin. I'm tired."

"Yeah I guess so. Acting like you're enjoying while some idiot slobbers over your neck can hardly be a walk in the park."

Kaoru laughed. It was a laugh meant to ridicule. "Don't talk as though you knew what I was feeling."

"Oh, really? So you enjoyed yourself, is that it?"

She stroked her earlobe slowly. There was nothing innocent or spontaneous about the gesture. It was deliberate. In the past, when they had been together, Kenshin loved to nibble on her earlobe. It had been one of "his" hotspots on her body.

"Yeah, I did enjoy myself."

Kaoru watched with satisfaction as a muscle twitched on Kenshin's face. He recovered soon though. "Oh. It didn't look that way to me."

"Maybe you need glasses."

"Maybe, but you know what, I don't buy it."

"That's not my problem Kenshin."

"Why isn't he here with you, right now? Why are you going home alone? He definitely wanted to be here."

Kaoru hesitated, but only for a second. "I have class tomorrow and I don't want to be up all night."

Kenshin laughed. "Oh Kaoru, listen to yourself. Even a baby would see through that one."

"Shut up, and go away Kenshin. I don't want you here." She snapped back irritably.

"Why are you lying to me, Kaoru?"

"Who's lying? Look, I've had a long day and right now I just want to relax so I would really appreciate if you could just leave me alone."

"Can't."

"Can't, or won't? Why are you being such a nuisance Kenshin? I mean, don't you have better things to do? And aren't you supposed to be with Tomoe?"

"I want….to be with you."

Kaoru's breath hitched in her throat. She swallowed. "Leave, Kenshin. I don't think I'll be able to explain this to Enishi and I don't want to ruin what I have with him."

Kenshin seemed to sink within himself. He shrank against the door carrying a dead look in his eyes. He stared her unbelievingly, the wounded expression on his face twisting like a dagger in her heart. It seemed as though he had given up in that one second. All of a sudden, a bolt of electricity seemed to course through his body. He jumped forward and grabbed her by the shoulders.

"Explain to Enishi? What the hell is wrong with you Kaoru? The only explanation you owe is to me! To me! Why did you leave? Just give me an answer, and it'll be alright. I don't care, Kaoru, I don't care…..about what you did then or even what you did just now…..I don't care…nothing matters but you. Just tell me you're back and I can forget everything."

Kaoru squirmed and pushed against him. "Kenshin, stop it."

He tightened his grip. "I'm not leaving without an answer Kaoru."

Kaoru winced as she felt Kenshin's fingers digging into her flesh. She gasped with pain. Shaking her head, she squirmed and tried to break away.

"Kenshin….stop it….you're hurting me. Kenshin…STOP…..You're HURTING me!"

He let go. Kaoru wrapped her arms around her body protectively and slowly rubbed her fingers against the red bruises left on her upper arms. She glared at him.

"What's wrong with you? You don't even realize when you turn into an animal!"

Kenshin looked away. "I….am sorry. I forgot my own strength. Forgive me." He stepped closer.

"Kaoru. Are you okay, baby?" He asked with concern. Kaoru looked at him. His eyes were wide, hued with gentle purple once more. She smiled weakly, forgetting herself for a minute. This was her Kenshin. The Kenshin she had known and loved insanely, without limit, without constraint. The Kenshin she was trying to push away even now. Her head hurt and her heart was in turmoil because of the limits she had willingly placed on herself.

And it was too late now. It would have been fine before but now, there was Tomoe to think of. She couldn't betray her like this.

Kaoru sighed. "Whatever. It's useless talking to you."

He looked hurt. "Why?"

"Because. You do not listen. I tell you everything is over, but you don't listen. I tell you to leave and give me my keys back, but you don't listen! I tell you I don't want you, but you don't listen! You never listen!"

Kenshin smiled sarcastically but in his heart he knew he had lost the battle. Kaoru was not going to come clean like this. He would have to try other, more unpleasant ways to get her to talk. "You expect me to take you seriously when you say those things to me?"

"There you go again." She clicked her tongue and swept her hand through her hair. She was tired of his questions. Questions that wouldn't let her rest, questions she didn't have answers to. She turned to him, weary with the burden of lying and masking her yearning for him. "Kenshin…..why are you here?"

She looked up at him and froze.

The raw emotion that had filled his eyes just minutes ago had disappeared. He had laid his soul bare when he begged her to come back to him. But looking at him now, it would seem as though those few minutes were nothing more but a figment of her imagination, as though they had never happened. A cold mask covered his face and his eyes…..his eyes reflected the detached desire a man may display at seeing the racy centre spread of a magazine.

"When a man shows up at a woman's door at this hour, it can only mean one thing kitten." His voice was low and husky. She couldn't recognize Kenshin in it. It was the lust in his eyes talking, not him.

Kaoru stared at him incredulously and laughed, nervously at first and then with disbelief. "You really are something else, aren't you? I mean, you have some nerve, following me to my house and then talking as though you own me you bastard!"

Kenshin chuckled once more. He strode forward, and stood before her. Thrusting his hands into his pockets, he bent his head and spoke huskily, "But I _do_ own you, kitten."

"What the heck…..I don't have time for this nonsense, Kenshin. Move aside."

Kaoru pushed past him. Kenshin grabbed her elbow and whipped her around. Kaoru yelped in surprise. Her left heel slipped and she felt a dull click in her knee as it buckled and twisted. Next thing she knew, Kenshin had her trapped between her apartment door and his body. He supported her left leg with one hand and gently held her back with the other. She groaned uneasily.

"What are you doing you idiot?" She froze.

He was sliding one finger up her leg. It slipped past her kneecap and then curved inward towards her thigh. She felt goose bumps rise on her legs as he reached the slender elastic band of her stocking. She clamped her thighs together and grabbed his wrist, stopping him from going any further.

She pursed her lips together and (with great difficulty) managed to speak, "You better have a damn good explanation for this Kenshin."

He flicked her hand off his fingers and resumed stroking her inner thigh. "Let me see, how should I put it? I'm just reliving our relationship."

"What?"

"Relax kitten, it's just sex. Nothing more, nothing less." He smiled disarmingly at her. Kaoru opened her eyes wide in shock. He threw her own words back at her with such aplomb that she was at a loss for words.

"I don't……"

"You don't understand? I'll make it simple. According to you, sex was all we had, right? So, from now on, that's all I'll ask of you. It's not an unreasonable thing to ask, is it?" He spoke as though it were the most natural thing in the world.

Kaoru felt as though Kenshin had climbed up on a steam roller and crashed through her. Her lower lip shook and her eyes welled up with tears. She pushed him away with a ferocity she didn't know she possessed.

"You bastard! You total creep; I can't believe you would even consider saying something so cheap, so revolting. I'm not a fancy toy you can play around with, dammit! You disgust me!"

He didn't even have the decency to look embarrassed. He shrugged nonchalantly. "Come on, what are you getting so worked up about? It's okay. It's me Kaoru. There's nothing about you I don't know already. Unless, you got a tattoo in the three years I didn't see you."

Kaoru glared at him in utter disbelief. "Don't talk as if it's normal!"

He pouted. "Isn't it?" If she hadn't been so angry, she definitely would've melted at the sight of him sticking his lower lip out like that. He was so effortlessly sexy; but it only served in making her even more furious.

"No, it isn't!"

"Huh….that's strange. I thought that sex was the most normal, and natural thing in the world…and the most enjoyable." He winked mischievously.

"It is natural only when you are in love with the person, not when……"

He snorted. "Love? Don't make me laugh." His eyes narrowed dangerously. "Only fools fall in love and dress up fantasies of 'happily ever after'. That's just nonsense. You, of all people should know."

Kaoru opened her mouth to say something but couldn't.

Kenshin smiled. "I should be thanking you. You woke me up from my silly, childish ideas. So now I'm going to stop being a pest and act more like an adult. That's what you wanted right? You wanted me to grow up."

"I didn't mean it like that……"

"Now now kitten, it's not nice to go back on your words."

"What words? I didn't promise anything like that to you!" Kaoru began to panic.

"How about you do then?"

He pulled her into his arms once more. Holding her tightly, he gently hummed into her ear, dropped soft kisses on her temple and gently rocked her to and fro in his arms. Stealthily turning the key in the keyhole, he nudged the door open with his foot. Kaoru tried to turn but couldn't. She looked back at him. He stood still, watching her strangely, as though he were deciding what to do. He swept her off her feet and up into his arms. Kicking the door shut with his foot, he strode inside confidently and conveniently ignoring Kaoru's threats of delivering untold pain to him.

He dropped her on the couch. Kaoru pushed herself up and launched into a tirade.

"How dare you! Get out! Get out of my house at once I don't want……."

She stopped speaking all of a sudden. Not because she had run out of words to say, but because no woman has ever managed to speak while she is being kissed with the kind of intensity and ardor that Kenshin smothered her lips with. His lips felt soft and persistent in turns. He stroked her cheek with the fingers of his left hand and held her face close with the other. His tongue felt silky and smooth. Kaoru moaned softly. Had it really been three years?

She hadn't forgotten the fluttering quickening of her heartbeat when she felt Kenshin's hands on her body, and he hadn't even gone past her neck yet. His fingers rested on the nape of her neck and her face. They caressed her skin, teasing, tantalizing, and bothering her. He wouldn't linger anywhere. He left her lips to kiss her cheek, then her eyes, her temples, the sensitive patch of skin beside her eye. He wickedly ran his tongue over her earlobe and nibbled it slightly before biting hard. She jumped.

He remembered! She dug her nails into the couch, and wished her would stop and wished he would never stop and wish he would leave and wish he would push her back and kiss her and kiss her and kiss her. She moaned again. Kenshin pulled back.

He gently extricated his hands from her neck and sat back, against the arm of the couch. A window was open. The cold night air swept over Kaoru's skin. She shivered. Kenshin's warmth was gone. She opened her eyes. He was sitting at the other end of the couch, looking at her in that same cold, callous manner. She shrank away. Neither of them spoke for a while. Finally Kenshin stood.

"So, should I understand it's a promise now?"

Kaoru seemed perplexed. "What are you talking about?"

"I don't revolt you, nor do I disgust you. Far from it, you can't wait to have me back in your arms."

Kaoru blinked. "That's nonsense!"

"Cut the denial Kaoru. I smell arousal a mile away."

"Arousal? Don't make me laugh. That was nothing."

Kenshin swooped in and captured her lips once more. Despite her words, she didn't push him away.

He straightened. And elegantly arched an eyebrow.

Kaoru looked away. "Fine. So you know how to kiss, so?"

"So be with me."

"God! How many times do I have to tell you? I don't love you anymore!"

"Who said anything about love? Aren't you being presumptuous? I want you, and that's about it. I won't cramp your style kitten. It's just sex, like you said."

She didn't know what hurt more. That he finally accepted her lies or that he wanted a no strings attached fling.

A shrill ring broke the tension. His phone was ringing. Kenshin fished his phone out and flipped it open.

"Hello? Tomoe. Honey, how are you?" He practically purred her name. Kaoru turned away. She stood and walked over to her kitchenette. She poured a glass of water and almost jumped as she felt his arms snake around her waist once more. He rested his head on her shoulder.

"I'm sorry I had to rush off so soon. I told you it was something important. Nah, don't worry, I'm fine. Yes, it's alright. I'll see you tomorrow. Bye." The phone snapped shut with a click.

Kaoru pulled away. "What is this, some kind of joke?"

He shook his head. "Why would you say something like that?"

"You're engaged to Tomoe, Kenshin! What the hell are you doing here, kissing me and holding me and ….and…."

"It's not like it matters to you, does it? We're both adults. I want you, you want me. Simple as that."

"You're sick! I can't believe you've changed so much."

"Yeah well, it takes a little getting used to but you know what kitten, I have found that's its a lot easier being a bastard than being a nice guy. I guess I just got sick of it. This suits me just fine."

"Get out. I don't even want to see you again, never again."

"You don't mean that kitten."

"Get out!"

Kenshin smiled. He seemed to enjoy watching her crumple. "Call me anytime." He strode leisurely to the door. Kaoru hurried after him, eager to lock him out. He turned at the threshold.

"Oh and kitten, I just wanted to say, that sound you make when I kiss you... it makes me go wild."

Kaoru shrieked in exasperation and slammed the door in his face. She slid to the floor. Hot tears of humiliation and pain slid down her cheeks. She wiped her lips again and again, trying to erase the feel of his lips. She sobbed without caring. Kenshin had shattered her.

-

-

Kenshin glanced at his feet. He sighed. "Sorry kitten. But it's time for payback."

**Author's Note**

I hope you all like this chapter. Yes. Nasty, evil Kenshin is here. And he's not scared by Kaoru!!


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin. It is the creation of Watsuki Nobuhiro.

**Rating**: M. Rated for adult situations

**Warning:** **MATURE. This is a MATURE story; it tackles adult themes and situations. Content requires reader discretion. *krystalMage puts tongue-in-cheek as she writes this ***

* * *

**A Game of Chess**

**-**

**-**

**Chapter 7: Pain**

-

-

* * *

**Recap**

Kaoru pulled away. "What is this, some kind of joke?"

He shook his head. "Why would you say something like that?"

"You're engaged to Tomoe, Kenshin! What the hell are you doing here, kissing me and holding me and ….and…?"

"It's not like it matters to you, does it? We're both adults. I want you, you want me. Simple as that."

"You're sick! I can't believe you've changed so much."

"Yeah well, it takes a little getting used to….but you know what kitten; I have found that's its a lot easier being a bastard than being a nice guy. I guess I just got sick of it. This suits me just fine."

"Get out. I don't ever want to see you again, never again."

"You don't mean that kitten."

"Get out!"

Kenshin smiled. He seemed to enjoy watching her crumple. "Call me anytime." He strode leisurely to the door. Kaoru hurried after him, eager to lock him out. He turned at the threshold.

"Oh and kitten, I just wanted to say, that sound you make when I kiss you, it makes me go wild."

Kaoru shrieked in exasperation and slammed the door in his face. She slid to the floor. Hot tears of humiliation and pain slid down her cheeks. She wiped her lips again and again, trying to erase the feel of his lips. She sobbed without caring. Kenshin had shattered her.

-

-

Kenshin glanced at his feet. He sighed. "Sorry kitten. But it's time for payback."

**End of Recap**

* * *

Kaoru screwed her eyes shut and rolled over in bed. She pulled the coverlet over her head and buried herself deeper, where the morning light could not reach her. The drone of her alarm clock rang from somewhere in her room, she couldn't tell where it was, maybe it was underneath the bed, or behind the chest-of-drawers…or it could be in the balcony…the last place she remembered flinging it.

Kaoru groaned. The ringing wouldn't stop and the only thing she wanted to do right now was to disappear into her bed and not emerge…..ever. Last night's events played inside her head again and again in an endless loop. She wanted to forget each word said and every action. She wished she could erase them from her memory so she wouldn't have to relive the pain, humiliation and desperation that flooded her senses.

Everything that could have possibly gone wrong had gone wrong. Kenshin wasn't supposed to follow her but he did, she wasn't supposed to kiss Enishi like her life depended on it but she did, Kenshin was supposed to leave after seeing her like that but he didn't, instead he waited till Enishi left and was waiting for her at her apartment so that he could torment her with his questions and kisses and touch…..and then proclaim that he only wanted her for sex and love and emotions played no part in his future relationship with her. Thunderbolt.

No, she was just his little sex kitten, an addiction he'd never really gotten over and something he didn't intend to let go even though Tomoe was now part of his life.

As things stood, she had her best friend, a girl who had been nothing but kind and supportive towards her, she had a half-crazed ex-lover who seemed hell bent on twisting her psychosis, and now, thanks to last night's shenanigans, she even had a boyfriend, who was the brother of her aforementioned friend, whom she hardly knew as a person. Perfect. Her life was a tailor made soap opera…..one where she had no hopes of ever getting the guy she wanted and which was certain to end in grief for her.

She pushed herself off the bed and made her way to the shower. It was going to be a long day, a very long day. She gasped as icy cold water hit her face and chest. Unconsciously, she wrapped her arms around her breasts and stroked her arms. She stepped out after a few more minutes of icy torture and wrapped her towel tightly around her body. As she ran her fingers through her hair, her eyes fell upon her reflection in the mirror. She stopped and stepped closer.

Dark red spots covered her neck and the rise of her breasts. She gingerly touched the most prominent one, just below her collarbone. The blood that had collected under her skin owing to the pressure of Enishi's lips seemed to stare back at her accusingly, blaming her, quite rightly, for the unholy mess of emotions, lust and love she was caught in.

Enishi's face flashed in her mind. Enishi. What had she done? She leaned against the tiled wall. He didn't deserve to be deceived. And neither did Tomoe. How long would she be able to hide the truth about her relationship with Kenshin anyway? Sooner or later, the truth would come out and when it did, Tomoe would hate her…for lying and deceiving her, for using her brother to fend Kenshin off, and for everything that had happened last night as well. Kenshin was after all, Tomoe's boyfriend right now. When she found out about it, she would be furious and she'd never forgive her.

Kaoru bit her lip. There was only one thing to do. She had to come clean about Kenshin. She had to tell Tomoe that she had known him earlier and ….but it was not going to be easy. Kenshin and she…were so entangled in each other and the convoluted nature of their relationship was difficult to try and explain to somebody else. Especially Tomoe who liked everything about her life to be ordered and organized. Besides, she didn't have the courage to tell Tomoe yet. Maybe in a while when she composed herself once more, when she pulled herself together and figured out a way to counter Kenshin…this new bastardized Kenshin, that is.

That's what he was now. The sensitive, considerate man she remembered was lost into this ruthless, cruel spectre that played with her and left her panting for more and then walked away leaving her, stone cold.

Steeped in contemplation, she walked out towards her closet, dressed absentmindedly, was almost out of her apartment when she realized she was wearing different colored shoes. She groaned.

It was going to be a long day.

-

-

Enishi sipped his coffee gently, savouring the taste and letting it spread back against the roof of his mouth before tilting the cup to his lips once more. Tomoe sat across him, briskly gulping down a bowl of cereal. Enishi glanced at his sister and sighed. She was wolfing down her breakfast again even though he'd asked her not to. She could be so careless about certain things. Her apartment keys, car keys, office keys, cell phone, lip balm, mascara, hand cream and wallet sat in a small heap beside her. Enishi watched as she swallowed the last of her cereal, grabbed her coat off the hanger, pulled her bag up to the table and swept all her things in.

"Why can't you do all this stuff when you go to bed? It'd save you time."

"Oh I usually do. Yesterday I got a little late so I didn't bother. Anyway, I'm not very late."

"Oh." He took another sip from his coffee mug. "Has Kenshin left already?"

Tomoe froze. She blushed. "Uh no. He…uh…had some work to do and so he dropped me back home and left." She tucked a lock of hair behind her ear and avoided looking at her brother. "Besides, we….um….we're not living together or anything….so…."

Enishi looked at her curiously. His eyes narrowed. "Are you trying to tell me that he's your fiancé but you haven't slept with him yet?"

Tomoe blushed again, furiously. "Enishi! Who allowed you to speak to me like that? You can't go around saying things like that."

Enishi shrugged. "It's a simple question. You can choose to say yes or no."

"I don't see how it's any of your business."

"Of course it's my business. Some guy claims to be engaged to you but still hasn't managed to convince you to drop your ridiculous code of chastity….I think I see a problem there."

Tomoe rolled her eyes exasperatedly. "You think everyone is desperate for sex. Well, just so you know, unlike _you_, Kenshin is a gentleman. He knows I'm not comfortable about it so….so he doesn't want to force me…he just wants to give me my space. He's so considerate…you wouldn't understand. All you can think about is sex."

Enishi stared back at her. "First of all Sis, I'm not desperate for sex. Second, this has nothing to do with being a gentleman, and third, sex is fun, so why you're taking such a high-and-mighty moral ground on something natural is beyond my comprehension."

"I am not taking a moral high-ground on it. I just ….listen Enishi, there hasn't been much time. We haven't known each other very long and Kenshin is very intense about everything he does but he's just making sure I'm not awkward about it."

Enishi kept looking at her. The look on his face spoke volumes. He was not convinced. "All I'm saying is.....maybe the guy isn't so serious about the whole thing. Look, Sis, you're hot. Any guy who was with you would want you…I mean it…and this entire thing about being a gentleman is nonsense. It's just ridiculous Hollywood romantic comedy propaganda. There isn't a guy on the planet who doesn't want to have sex with the woman he loves. Making love is just a deeper way of showing love. How can a guy not want it and still claim to love you is just weird." He stood, walked over to the sink and rinsed his mug.

"You don't understand a thing about Kenshin!"

"Sis, you're getting hysterical." He leaned against the kitchen island.

"He's not that kind of guy."

Enishi pursed his lips together. "Alright Sis, he's an amazing guy, wonderful. I'm happy for you. Your fiancé is truly astounding. Does that help?"

Tomoe pouted. "You don't have to say it like it's a punishment."

Enishi rolled his eyes. "Then don't make me." He looked away. "If you haven't known him for very long what gave you the idea to get engaged so suddenly?"

Tomoe averted her eyes. "About that….um…Enishi….Kenshin isn't…well…he isn't my fiancé yet. I mean we _are_ going to get engaged but we haven't decided the date and…"

Enishi stared at her incredulously. "Why did you tell me you were engaged then?"

"I didn't tell you, I told Kaoru." Tomoe replied in a small voice.

"What difference does that make?"

Tomoe tossed her head slightly. "It makes a huge difference. Oh I don't know. Yesterday, when I saw her enter, every guy in the club turned his head after her till as far as they could go. I don't know why but I felt very vulnerable and so…I lied to her about being engaged and …… "

Enishi stepped out from behind the kitchen island. "I can't believe you would do something so stupid and unnecessary. What were you thinking? You could have just said he was your boyfriend and that would have been the end of the matter. It's not like Kaoru was trying to steal him from you or something."

"I know, I know but I don't know what came over me. I just thought I'd tell her that Kenshin is my fiancé and I did….I mean it just felt like that was the right thing to say."

"Tomoe…." Enishi shook his head.

"You don't understand Enishi. Kaoru has an effect on men. They see her and then they can't see anyone else. It's like what happens when the sun comes out…the moon fades into insignificance."

"Are you listening to yourself? Kaoru is your friend, and she's not the kind of girl who goes about stealing other people's boyfriends. Sis, nothing like that is going to happen to you. You are a very beautiful and lovely person. No one in their right mind would dream of leaving you if they had you in their lives."

"Really?"

"Yeah, really, there's nothing about you that is undesirable but, these stupid stunts you keep pulling….to be honest Sis…they're kind of disturbing. Lying about non-issues like this can turn into a big problem somewhere down the line. Don't just shoot your mouth off like that. Think about what you're getting into when you say things."

"I'm sorry. I'll try being more careful about it."

"Yeah and I think you should try and talk to Kenshin and ask him where this relationship is going. I mean you say you're engaged when you're not, and he doesn't even react to it….to me, it looks like he doesn't care. Like he doesn't care whether or not you get engaged. It's like he's living in some other world in some other relationship. You find out about it. I don't want you getting hurt."

"Kenshin is not going to hurt me. He loves me."

Enishi sighed. "Sis, I'm not denying that. I'm sure he loves you but, what does he intend to do about it?

For once, Tomoe had no answer.

-

-

Kaoru pulled the door open and sprang back in surprise. Her landlady was standing right at her doorstep. Her lips were painted a bright shade of red and she smiled down at her as though it was perfectly normal for her to appear at Kaoru's door, looking as though she belonged there. Kaoru stepped back.

"Megumi, how nice to see you. Umm…I was just about to leave so if you want to talk then maybe…."

"Of course darling, I'll come right to the point." Megumi strode in as though she owned the place, which wasn't entirely wrong but considering that Kaoru had the apartment on rent, wasn't exactly right either.

Kaoru took a deep breath and shut the door. Megumi was an eccentric character. She was barely a couple of years older than Kaoru but treated her like a child. Her parents had passed away when she was a teenager, leaving her this old, ramshackle building. Megumi had shown her spark for business by renting out all the apartments at premium rates. She ensured that her tenants paid the rent on time and lived by her rules – there were no others in this building.

Kaoru waited. Megumi probably had something to say, or she wouldn't be here. Normally she was very dismissive of Kaoru. People whose love lives and personalities were more complicated than the accepted standard were in love with pain according to her and Kaoru was a classic example of it. According to Megumi, that is.

She pulled a narrow piece of paper out of her pocket. She peered at it carefully and glanced back at her. "You are a month behind on rent."

Kaoru smiled nervously. "I know Megumi. I will pay it as soon as I get my paycheck."

"Paycheck? Gotten a job have you?"

"Something like that."

"That's wonderful…I think that you…." She trailed off and looked about curiously. She stared at Kaoru. "Did you have a man in here last night?"

Kaoru controlled the urge to throw her hands up in exasperation. This was precisely why Megumi was known as an eccentric. She would step into a room, sniff the air and tell you what you had for dinner last night. Or judging by the state of your room, she would ask you if you were feeling well or had you succumbed to the flu. The woman was clairvoyant…there was no other explanation for the kinds of insight she had into your life despite not exchanging a single word.

"No, Megumi, there was no man here last night." Kaoru spoke in a deadpan voice. Megumi looked at her quizzically.

"No? That's strange. Your apartment has remnants of a certain male aura wafting about. It's very strong." Megumi continued to look around. Kaoru groaned inwardly. Mad Megumi and her auras! It was enough to drive her completely insane. Megumi ran a fortune-telling and tarot reading business on the side…in one of the lower apartments actually. She was prone to saying things like, "your aura feels very dry today…how long ago was it that you had sex?" on a regular basis to her tenants.

She generally tried to steer clear of Megumi, preferring to drop her rent cheques in her letterbox and quietly tip toe away before Megumi felt her "aura" and emerged from her flat to talk.

"Well there must be some sort of mistake." Kaoru replied with finality. "I will get you the rent by today evening. Is that alright?"

Megumi raised an eyebrow. "That will be fine, but only until this evening." She gave Kaoru a sly, fox-like grin and walked out, firmly shutting the door behind her. Kaoru sighed and sank into the sofa. She hadn't had the time to visit the bank all these days and forgot that the rent was overdue.

"Great. Just what I need." Kaoru slung her bag over her shoulder and marched out of the apartment to attend a class she didn't have.

-

-

The club didn't open until seven. Kenshin carefully steered his bike into the back alley behind the Renegade and parked it at a nondescript door. He lifted his helmet off his head and shook his head. His bangs kept falling into his eyes; it was becoming a nuisance. But Kaoru liked them like this and he wasn't about to change it any time soon. He was walking towards the door when it opened and a man came out. He was cradling a crate of empty beer bottles in his arms and he looked like it was taking a lot of effort. Kenshin lent him a hand.

After setting it carefully on the ground, the man looked up. "You haven't been around in a while."

Kenshin smiled. "Yeah, I know. Is Sano in?"

The man grinned. "The boss just flew in, about an hour ago, and he's already chewing Chou out for screwing up."

Kenshin laughed. "In that case, I better go relieve Chou from his misery. See you." He waved and walked inside. It was dark inside, but as his eyes got used to the dim light, Kenshin could make out figures walking about, setting the place up for the night.

Sano was seated at a table on an elevated room, overlooking the entire club. Kenshin strode up the stairs. He didn't bother to knock on the door; he simply walked in. Sano looked up. He was holding a sheet of invoices. His laptop was on and his bar manager Chou was standing in front of him, looking slightly sheepish and put down.

"How many times must we go through this stuff Chou? You can't keep giving people drinks on credit when you know they don't have the greens to back it up. This is ridiculous. We're losing money like water here Chou. You're killing me man…..you're killing me."

Chou pursed his lips together. "I'll make it good to you Sano."

Sanosuke sighed. He leaned forward and shut the laptop. "Chou, I don't pay you just so I can get some money back from you every month. I don't want you to be in a position where you have to dig through your cut to pay other people's dues."

"But the losses.."

Sanosuke shook his head. "This isn't the first time somebody played us on paying up and it won't be the last. But, I want you to make a promise – you are not going to provide any more drinks or food on credit, it doesn't matter who it is. Just make it a blanket rule. If there's any problem, come to me. I will deal with it."

Chou gave a brisk nod and left. Sano leaned back in his chair and ran his hands through his hair. Kenshin drew a chair up and sat down, watching the tired expression on his best friend's face with concern.

Sano rubbed his temples with his fingers. "When did you get here Kenshin?"

Kenshin smiled. "Just a few minutes ago. That sounded bad. Is everything alright?"

Sano grinned. "Yeah, nothing I can't handle. You tell me, what's up? I haven't seen you in ages."

Kenshin swept his bangs out of his eyes. Sano looked at him and rolled his eyes in exasperation. "Why don't you just get a haircut? Didn't we discus this last time? She's been gone three years Kenshin! You can let go of the bangs, seriously!"

Kenshin looked at Sano. He was angry and it showed. Sano had been furious with Kaoru for treating him the way she did. He would lose his temper and become irritated each time Kenshin spoke about her. Sanosuke wanted him to erase everything related to her from his life. His refusal to do so had become a sore point on their friendship, something that was only beginning to heal.

Kenshin debated with himself for a second. Maybe it was not a good idea to tell Sano about last night, but he would find out anyway. He always did. Not telling him would be a bad idea.

"I found her Sano."

"What?"

"Kaoru…I found her."

The expression on Sano's face said it all. He was furious. His jaw tightened and he ground his teeth before turning to him.

"This had better not be what I think its going to be Kenshin. You cannot be serious! After all that's happened. After everything that bitch put you through, don't tell me you're going back to her!"

"There's no question of going back to her….."

"Thank god! Good sense prevails…finally!"

"I never left her…." Kenshin replied quietly.

Sano broke the pencil resting between his fingers. The snap echoed in the silence of the room. "Kenshin, you can't do this to yourself again. It's no use; it's not worth the heartache. And anyway, you have Tomoe to think about. This obsession with Kaoru will destroy you. Why do you want to mess everything up? And what about Tomoe, huh? Don't you care if she gets hurt by all this? Doesn't she matter at all to you?"

"I don't want to hurt Tomoe, I really don't but Sano, it's Kaoru. I can't let her go….not just yet."

"Then you have no right to be with Tomoe. You can't string her along as a backup option while you chase after Kaoru. She's not a toy you can pick up and throw away when you like. Make up your mind. If it's Kaoru you want, then stop this charade with Tomoe. She doesn't deserve this shit."

"I know that. Tomoe is a very special girl and I don't want to hurt her if I can help it."

"Kenshin, you should forget about Kaoru. That girl is just bad news."

Kenshin looked away.

Bad news. That's what all of his friends thought she was, but they didn't know her the way he did. They didn't know how secure and loved she made him feel. They didn't understand how her craziness had brought life into his sterile, dry and cold existence. Before he met her, he was just going through the motions of living. Life for him began with Kaoru and ended with her. But he could not explain all of this to Sano. It was impossible to explain. They were meant to be together. Him and Kaoru. Two muddled-up, sad persons who could only be happy together.

Sano sighed. He cursed under his breath. Kenshin had finally begun picking up the pieces of his life and this happened. That girl….god he hated her, he hated her for what she had done to his friend. Sure, Kenshin hadn't been the happiest of people before but after she left, he had been shattered. He'd seen it all. He had been the one who was left behind to clean up the mess. He had been there when Kenshin would drink till he fell asleep or till he was so sick that he had to be taken to the hospital. He had been there night after night, watching Kenshin stare at her pictures as tears ran down his face. He had seen his pain and it had terrified him.

Sano cleared his throat and glanced at Kenshin. He was staring off into space, probably thinking about Kaoru. He felt his fingers curl into a fist. He'd seen Kenshin in pain once, but he had promised that he would never let that happen again.

Kaoru would never have him. Ever again. He would see to it. Nothing could stop him from putting an end to her role in his life, nothing, not even Kenshin.

**Author's Note**

I know I don't deserve all the love you guys give me. Hope you like this chapter. 

By the way, there's a new forum called The Readers Have Chosen. It's about recco-ing fanfics you like. So if there's any fanfics you want other people to know about, you nominate it and vote for it in a weekly poll and the winners get featured on the Weekly Recommendation Page.

Check it out if you get time.


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